Carl Pope is correct that "[c]ongressional and Bush administration resistance to action has never been based on public sentiment or public ignorance -- it's a policy driven by ideology and by the economic interests of the carbon lobby -- in defiance of public sentiment."  However, you both get sidetracked abut getting people "fired up" or "build[ing] a mass movement."  The cause of the disconnect between what the politicians have done and what the people supposedly want is twofold.

First, while people want more fuel efficient engines and cleaner technologies, they don't actually care that much about these things.  The way they really feel is that they strongly support the status quo if it means having to sacrifice any of their overly comfortable and overconsumptive lifestyles.

Second, to the extent that politicians are not doing what the people want in this area, but are instead following the lead of the oil industry: that's the logical result of an electoral system that relies on private campaign financing instead of being completely publicly financed.  Get rid of private campaign financing and the politicians will act at the will of the voters instead of the will of their donors.